This is the first entry in a series to highlight the contributors within our network and highlight the gift exchanges that keeps this network alive and kicking!

Fonna has been a passionate supporter and community member of YSI ever since we started sharing an office with AVNU, where she does Community Outreach. She has been an amazing teacher for us in how to make our collaborative more inclusive so that we can better hear the voices of people of colour and people who identify as queer. She also stepped up at CollabCamp with the gift of her beautiful photos which you see in our report back (and more on her personal page). Below, we asked Fonna to share a bit about what keeps her going.

YSI: What is the community work that drives you?

Finding Homes Away from Home: My determination to find other young folks who accept me as a whole and have no interest in telling me how I should move through the world. Those folks are now my peers and chosen family. I couldn't be happier!

YSI: What gifts do you bring to the YSI community?

Information Sharing: I love sharing opportunities that steer folks onto the right path & help feed the flame of people's passions. This looks like sharing job opportunities on my Facebook page, promoting AVNU partner learning opportunities, or one-on-one conversations with young folks.

YSI: What kind of opportunities or supports are you looking for from the YSI community, whether freelance contracts, skill shares or otherwise?

I LOVE going to conferences and travelling, so if there's a conference (preferably with themes around unlearning, anti-oppression, youth leadership, and/or art-making) outside of Toronto let me know and I'll try to be there! :D